


Not even fuck buddies

by Annie1025



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Enemies to Lovers, Friends With Benefits, Happy Ending, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Nightmares, Self-Harm, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Touch-Starved, Trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-13 21:22:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29285238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Annie1025/pseuds/Annie1025
Summary: Fuck buddies without the 'buddies' part.Friends with benefits without the 'friends' part.That was their current relationship. It was purely physical while they continued to hate each other on a normal basis.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter
Comments: 3
Kudos: 25





	1. Chapter 1

"Mhhmm!!" The moan that escaped Harry's mouth was buried in the fabric stuffed between his teeth. His back arched up and the tears hanging at the edge of his eyes streamed down.

"Fuck, you're tight." Draco muttered under his breath as he slid out. He thrust back in hard the next moment, causing the black-haired boy under him to moan some more. Harry's hands were tied together, resting above his head. Malfoy leaned in and pressed down on the joined palms to reach even deeper places of Harry's body.

The sweat from the Draco's pale chest dripped down on the slightly tanned skin underneath him. Potter's legs were tightly wrapped around the other person's torso, making sure there was not any distance between their lower parts.

The single bed creaked heavily. This part of Hogwarts was still under renovation and the old bed should have been thrown out a long time ago, yet the pair hid it well in a small, vacant room. It was only a temporary solution, but it served them well.

Moans that echoed between the thick, stone walls, got louder and more intense as time passed.

"Mhm c-chloshe...[I'm close]" Harry managed to say when Draco's movement became more aggressive. He knew all the sweet spots Potter had and hit them with great accuracy. Malfoy wasn't at top of his class for nothing.

"Not yet. Not before I allow you to." Draco's voice was deep and the way he said the command made Harry's insides flutter. His head was numb and he barely managed to keep his eyes from rolling back. Malfoy didn't show him any mercy and grasped the other's fully erected cock tightly, to prevent him from cumming.

It had quite the opposite effect.

Harry's green eyes shot open, looking at the person above him with panic. Malfoy's warm hand jerked his dick steadily, almost making him cum right away. Draco smirked and mouthed two words.

_Not yet._

Harry's brain was tingling and he could feel the pressure taking over, he wasn't able to stop it anymore.

"Phleashe... Imm cummhing!" He screamed and his eyes closed in ecstasy as the white liquid sprayed over Draco's hand. Harry drove his post-orgasmic wave while the blonde boy thrust in a few more times before reaching climax himself.

Malfoy then pulled out and collapsed next to the panting raven boy. He then took out a green handkerchief from the other person's mouth, allowing him to breathe freely.

"Shit." Harry said, more to himself than the boy lying next to him, opening his eyes slowly. He came way sooner than his usual self.

"Pent up? Or just becoming a slut?" Malfoy smirked with no emotion displayed on his face.

"Shut up." Harry rolled his eyes, this time out of annoyance. "You cheated." He pointed out, referring to the double-combo he received by the end.

"Didn't know this was a competition," Draco replied, sitting up. He reached for his wand and cleaned himself up with a charm. He then got himself dressed, carefully masking any signs which could give away that he just had sex.

"Oh, almost forgot." Malfoy stopped himself before exiting the room. He waved his wand lazily, untying Harry's hands quickly.

"How very nice of you." The other pointed out sourly. Harry had been waiting to be noticed and untied by the blonde boy the whole time, lying there butt-naked and dirty.

"Save it." Malfoy backfired and slammed the door, leaving Harry alone in the room.

This was their current relationship.

Fuck buddies without the 'buddies' part.

Friends with benefits without the 'friends' part.

It was purely physical while they continued to hate each other on a normal basis.

Harry sighed to himself and sat up. His back was aching when he reached out for his wand to take care of his disastrous state. He wished to leave soon as well, the more he stayed in the room alone, the colder it got.

 _It's the middle of winter, you dumbass._ Harry thought as he put on his clothes, pondering on how he was burning up just a second ago. He left promptly, casting a masking spell on the door of the small room before heading back to his dorms.


	2. Chapter 2

Harry was pent up, but not in a way Malfoy addressed. Although the war was over and things have finally calmed down, the storm inside the round-glassed boy's mind was still wild. Many people died because of him only so he could live. Again.

He blamed himself for all kinds of things, one would say that the creation of the universe was also his fault.

Nightmares that crept to his sleep every night didn't help. Voldemort wasn't there anymore to occupy his mind, but Harry still woke up frightened sometimes with vivid flashbacks planted in his brain.

Hogwarts was under renovation due to the increased amount of students flooding in, some older parts were made to dormitories and classrooms. Because of that, sleeping arrangements for 6th years and higher were temporarily changed, making everyone sleep in any available room. Naturally, Harry and his best friend managed to obtain a small, double-room for themselves before it was too late.

Ron woke up almost every night due to Harry's constant whimpering. In the beginning, he wished to help him but now, three months after school started, it was getting on his nerves. Ron knew his best friend wasn't at fault. He knew it very well but still didn't feel guilty when he sneaked to Hermione's room. Ron just wanted to get some good night's sleep once in a while.

"Hey there." Harry nodded as he entered their bedroom. He was feeling beat after Malfoy's aggressive performance. He noted to take revenge the next time he was topping.

Ron nodded slightly as a greeting, being lost in his thoughts. The essay he had due tomorrow was slowly eating his brain cells away, so he stood up from the table few moments later to stretch his sore body.

"Whose idea was it to do this?" He asked Harry, though it sounded more like a statement.

"Yours." Harry replied without missing a beat and let his body fall on the soft mattress.

"Shit." Ron cursed under his breath and returned to the parchment paper on the table. Harry smiled slightly and let his eyelids cover his view. It really was his best friend's idea to come back to finish their studies and become Aurors.

Harry had no place to go after saying goodbye to the only family he had left. It wasn't like he minded not living with his uncle anymore, but crashing at Weasley's wasn't a permanent solution either. Hogwarts was the only place he felt at home, even after all the years and events that had happened. It was only natural to agree once Ronald suggested coming back for one more year.

Harry's consciousness slowly faded and he fell asleep.

He was awoken by Hermione's arrival, she came to call them for dinner. Though he slept only for half an hour, it was already dark outside. The winter months caused the sun to go down much sooner.

One glance at Ron's hopeless expression told Harry he was still nowhere near done with this assignment. Although he felt a desire to help him out, Ron needed to be more independent. Even Hermione did not offer to lend him a hand.

Harry hadn't had much appetite given that he just woke up from an unpleasant dream. He was feeling out of place and failed to notice when they entered the Great Hall or sat down to their Gryffindor table. The whole evening, he didn't touch any bit of food nor engaged himself in the conversation. It was as if he was functioning only mechanically, with his mind wandering around.

There weren't any particular thoughts occupying his head, Harry just caught himself staring at the wall or random people around him after minutes of daydreaming. He was spacing out so much he didn't register when someone bumped into him on their way back to dorms.

"Has all the fame finally kicked in and made you blind, Potter?" A familiar, piercing voice brought Harry back to reality. The blonde boy appeared in front of them, smirking widely. Harry bumped into him gently while day-dreaming.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Ron got overly-defensive, prepared to fight with the person the trio disliked.

"Don't mind him, mate," Harry muttered quietly and continued walking past the Slytherin boy. He didn't have the mental capacity to deal with Malfoy at that moment. Ron stared at his best friend's back before rushing to him with Hermione behind.

"You're letting him off, huh?" Ron pointed out with a hint of hostility in his voice. He was always short-tempered when it came to Malfoy.

"Why does it matter? We're not in a second grade anymore, Ronald." Harry brushed him off with a tone that made it obvious he was annoyed and continued walking. He wasn't annoyed with Malfoy's pathetic attempt to get Harry's attention. It was the fact that Harry's cock gladly responded to that little skin-ship he just experienced and gave Malfoy the attention he wanted.

Draco yelled something else along the line 'Running away, Potter?" but Harry wasn't interested. Ron and Hermione followed after him when their best friend headed to the nearby common room.

"Uhm..." Ron cleared his dry throat to get his friend's attention. "Everything alright there?" He asked as they all sat down on a couch nearby the fireplace. The common rooms were now accessible to all students, regardless of their faculty.

Harry didn't reply as he stared at the red flames. They flickered brightly, making it almost hypnotizing to look away.

"I'm just a bit tired." He said after a while, breaking the silence between them. That was true, Harry was tired and still angry at how his body responded. He felt gross.

"You can talk to us about anything, you know that. Don't struggle alone." Hermione touched his hand gently, giving him an understanding look. Harry nodded, but felt a sudden feeling of discomfort and stood up.

"Yeah, thanks. Ron, you still have to finish your essay. I just remembered I wanted to visit Hagrid so I'm gonna come back in a bit." Harry quickly made up an excuse and left his two friends alone.

It was weird. He couldn't focus a moment ago and now, staying still made his nerves ache. Harry felt like he needed to get some fresh air and set his mind straight. No matter how he looked at it, these mood swings were becoming more frequent. He was neither able to relax nor pay attention to anything around him.

Harry managed to sneak through Filch that was sweeping the floor in the main hallway. He forgot his invisible cloak nor any type of coat since he left in such a hurry. The robe provided him only a little warmth and the freezing weather bit into his skin the moment he stepped outside.

"Ugghh." His body shivered reflexively but it didn't stop him from taking a walk.

It was dark and peaceful outside. A thin layer of snow made the stone floor slippery and Harry almost lost his balance a few times. The bit of adrenaline rush he got from almost tripping over made his body warmer.

His steps stopped at the bridge that stretched over the deep chasm. A small cloud of warm fog was creating around Harry's mouth as he leaned his elbows on the railing. The freezing air made his whole body tense but his mind finally seemed at peace.

Harry didn't know how much time passed. He stared at the darkness in front of and beneath him, listened to occasional sounds that got to him from the forest and just let himself be dazed. Not thinking about anything was salvation. However, once he realized he could no longer feel his limbs, nose, or cheeks, it was time to go back.

This time, he really did slip on the stones since his body was partially frozen. His robe got wet from the snow that melted as he entered the main building. Harry couldn't care less, he was past the point his body shivered, nor felt cold.

He managed to sneak into the dorms without any problems, it must have been really late because even Filch wasn't around anymore. As Harry struggled to open the main door, which was spell protected after curfew, he noticed a light coming from the common room.

It wasn't weird for some students to stay up late and study, but he surely wasn't expecting to see a certain blond-haired boy lying on the sofa.

Malfoy was on his back, holding a book in one hand, the other resting behind his head and serving as a pillow. He didn't notice that someone had entered the room. His guard was lowered and he turned all his attention to the book of advanced potion brewing.

Harry knew there wouldn't be any interaction between them so he didn't bother concealing his presence any longer.

Draco noticed a dark figure in his peripheral vision and tensed. His body jerked up and he instinctively pulled out his wand, aiming it at the intruder. He blinked twice and raised his eyebrows as he noticed the significant black hair and round glasses.

"Potter?" Slipped out of his mouth sooner than he could stop himself. Draco was still a bit startled, his heart beating fast.

Harry intended to ignore him but still turned his direction once he heard his name.

"Nice observing skills, Malfoy. I was worried you'd mistake me for Santa Claus." Harry was surprised by the harsh tone that escaped from his throat. The word choice he just used wasn't typical for him either.

Draco also noticed the unusual change in Harry's attitude and smirked. He ignored the lame insult and started playing his own game.

"The Golden Boy is sneaking out late at night just to cry on his girlfriend's shoulder? Truly splendid Gryffindor behavior." Malfoy chuckled.

Harry gave him a long glare. He then proceeded to walk over the fireplace, bringing his palms upwards. His hands were still frozen and as Harry later noticed, red and swollen. He was outside for too long.

"Why are you so concerned? Jealous that I didn't use your shoulder instead?" He asked in return in a calmer voice, with his eyes mesmerized by the flames the second time a day.

"Concerned? Jealous? When did you debut as a comedian, Potter?" Malfoy laughed and stood up. He walked over to where Harry was standing and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Listen here," he leaned close, whispering to Harry's ear. "You can go and fuck every person you come across in the hallway and I couldn't care less."

Malfoy was so close Harry felt his breath tickling the frozen area. Draco smirked but there wasn't a change in his emotionless expression. Interestingly enough, Potter's expression didn't change either.

"How very nice of you," Harry repeated the words he said earlier that day. "I'll keep that in mind. 'night." With that, he headed upstairs to his room, not giving any more attention to the blonde boy.


	3. Chapter 3

Draco couldn't hide his surprise when he found a small note in his pocket the next day. He was in the Potion class with other eight years when something fell out of his robe. If Blaise didn't point it out, Draco would've overlooked it.

Today, the same time and place. P.

He started at the messy handwriting for a second longer than it was necessary before crumpling the paper in his hand.

Malfoy's eyes searched the room before landing on Potter, their gazes meeting for a brief moment. Draco continued to watch the other boy even after the eye contact was broken, his curiosity and interest were triggered for one simple reason.

Harry had never reached out to him, though nor did Malfoy.

Their agreement was simple, they met two times a week, the same days, place, and time. They had done this since the beginning, thus for almost three months with no changes.

A sudden twist like this made Draco feel thrilled and impatient. It was not as if his life was boring, but a little distraction was always welcomed.

His steps echoed in an empty hallway as he later rushed to their meeting place. A group of Ravenclaws held him back and it took much longer to deal with them than the other days. He was even more delayed because of his stop at the bathroom, fixing his wet, dirty clothes and healing a bruise on his cheek.

Thought about ditching Potter crossed his mind as well but Malfoy was too curious to let this just slide. Curious and horny.

"You're late," Harry stated when Draco entered the small room.

"You've missed me that much?" Malfoy smirked in return, taking off his green sweater in one smooth motion.

"As if." Harry was already sitting at the only piece of furniture there was - the old bed. He watched Draco slip off his shoes and socks and neatly putting them aside.

"Fucking winter." Malfoy cursed under his breath when he took off his shirt. He only had his elegant, black pants on while Harry was still fully clothed. When he noticed how Potter watched him without moving an inch, he gave him a confused look. Malfoy hesitated before deciding not to strip completely since the other party seemed uninterested.

"Continue, I was enjoying the show," Harry ordered him with a teasing smile. Draco managed to frown before walking up to him.

"Your expression said otherwise." He noted, spreading his legs as he sat down on Harry's lap, one knee wrapped around each side of Potter's torso. Then he proceeded to take off Harry's robes and shirt, making them both with only pants on.

"Impatient, aren't we? Seems like you're the one pent up here." Harry commented with a smirk, his dominant side taking over. Malfoy's eyebrow arched up and he gifted the other boy an amused look.

"It was you who wanted to meet up in the first place, Potter." Draco pointed out and reached down to Harry's belt, slowly unbuckling it. The eye contact the pair maintained was not once broken.

There were three simple, yet unspoken rules between them.

First one; they switch. Since there were two meetings a week, both had a one go in receiving and one in giving. Harry was afraid of their arrangement at the beginning because he was the bottom their first time. However, the second time they met for this purpose, Malfoy himself acted as if Harry was top and Harry didn't miss the opportunity to lose his virginity. He didn't know if he was Draco's first and frankly, he didn't care. If nothing, Malfoy acted very experienced and appeared knowledgeable and Harry didn't wish to boost his ego even more.

Second; no kissing. This was given. Blowjobs were a yes, but kissing any part of the other's body was something neither of them ached to do. Kissing was a next-level intimacy the two arch-enemies didn't have.

And the last one; no calling by their given name. Although it mainly applied to the first name, there was a silent agreement that even surname was off track. The thought of having their surname called out in a wishful way only to hear it later on as a form of insult was something neither of the boys wanted.

Harry's pants came off quickly and his half-erected penis welcomed Draco. It took Malfoy one glance at the other boy's face to realize that he didn't come to play. No teasing blowjob or cupping balls was on the list at that moment, the paler boy wasn't in charge.

Potter grabbed Draco by shoulders and pinned him down against the bed, grinding their hips together in the process. They looked into each other's eyes, their every breath becoming more unsteady. Harry switched his weight from palms to elbows, lowering himself to savor Draco's pink nipple, pinching and fondling the other with his fingers.

Sweet, Harry thought as his tongue made an impact with the blonde boy's pale skin. Draco probably showered in the morning, giving the faint mint scent Harry could smell.

"Nghh." Malfoy let out a muffled moan, his eyes shut tightly and the back of his palm covering his mouth.

"Sensitive as ever," Potter commented as he sat up and started working on Draco's pants, pulling them down and freeing the firm bulge that poked him just a moment ago. "Never would've thought before that your nipples were so sensitive."

"Shut up." Draco breathed, faint blush flushing his cheeks. It was hard to tell if it was from the arousal or Potter's previous comment. Maybe both. "I have no desire to listen to your fantasies." He snapped and Harry's face showed surprise. They rarely talked during their acts and the submissive Malfoy usually did not strike back.

"I'll just have to show them to you then," Harry smirked, pulling Draco's legs up and placing each of his feet on his shoulders. Draco's eyes widened in surprise as he found his body halfway up in the air.

Before Malfoy could add some ironic comment, Harry thrust in. It was without any warning or prep time, so sudden that Malfoy's voice got caught in his throat. Harry did cast a moisturizing charm, wandlessly, at the entrance and made sure his entering didn't hurt Malfoy... that much.

"Potter!" Draco barked out through his teeth and gave Harry a half-squinted glare. His breaths were heavy and Harry could feel his insides tightly gaping around him. It felt good.

Harry ignored the other boy's call and started moving, which abruptly silenced Malfoy yet again. During those three months, he realized Draco was sort of a masochist in a twisted way.

Heavy moans and slapping filled the small room, the second day in a row. Halfway through, Harry ought to switch their position, leading Draco to be still on his fours. His arms quickly gave out once Potter's palm made a rather painful impact with one of his arse cheeks.

"Fuck..." Harry heard between Draco's moans which assured him that he indeed knew all the spots of the blonde boy by now. Malfoy loved to be spanked, but only to a certain measure. Harry learned the hard way when he once left bruises.

The speed quickly increased, having Harry ramming his hard cock into the depths of Draco's arse with every thrust. Draco's fair skin was now flushed pink as he stuck out his ass even more by burying his face into bedding beneath him.

Although they did it doggy-style, Malfoy more resembled a cat at that moment, having his feet curled and arms extended upfront, squeezing the blanked firmly. It was a view Harry enjoyed.

"I'm getting close..." He muttered quietly. When Harry was topping, he wasn't very verbal and he rarely moaned.

"Fuck, me too...! Oh, fuck!" Draco, on the other hand, was letting out his voice for both of them. At first, the moans were low but promptly escalated to higher tuned cries.

Harry clasped the blonde boy's asscheeks, digging his nails into delicate skin, slamming Draco harder against himself.

"I'm... mhmm, shit, cumming!!" Draco choked as he sprayed all over the sheets. Harry came almost at the same time, letting it all out inside.

It wasn't the longest they had sex, but neither of them commented on it this time. They were young and didn't take ages to get off.

Harry slipped out as he felt himself going soft, letting himself collapse down, next to lying Malfoy.

Several moments had passed in silence, the only sound was their breaths which slowly steadied down.

"Fucking winter." Harry heard Draco curse again under his breath as he sat up. He noticed shivers on the back of the boy only to realize he still felt warm.

Draco muttered a cleansing charm over himself, then the bedding, and then he promptly dressed up.

"Got another appointment?" Harry blurted out as he found himself wondering where the blonde rushed to every time.

Draco shot him a glance. "Not everyone has lost purpose in their life after defeating Dark Lord. I got better things to do than hang out in here with the oh-so-famous Harry Potter." Every word was soaked in sarcasm. This was another thing Harry noticed, Malfoy's attitude was the worst after sex.

"Many would disagree with you about spending time with me, I'm quite wanted, you know." He pointed out with a sly smile. "What makes you think I have lost my purpose?" Harry asked, taken aback by the seriousness in his tone.

"Gosh, one doesn't need to attend Divination lessons to see it. You have it written all over your face." Draco finished fixing his appearance, looking neat and fresh as always. "Not that I care." He added after a while.

"See you next week." With that, Maloy was gone. The room fell into silence after the sound of the slammed door stopped resonating between the walls.

It got quiet, dark, and cold. Harry was forced to get up and dress too, pondering yet again how suddenly the entire mood changed with the departure of the person he hated. Was it really hate though?

Not everyone has lost purpose in their life after defeating Dark Lord. Those words, repeating in his head, caused a twist to tighten in his stomach. Swallowing dryly, Harry left the room, pushing the uneasiness into the back of his head.


	4. Chapter 4

Draco rushed down the corridor as quickly as he could, hoping he won't bump into someone again. The Hufflepuff's group earlier was already enough bully dose for the day.

His mind was occupied with the words he had said to Potter earlier. He would've never admitted to anyone that it was based on his own struggles, not even himself.

It wasn't as if he lost purpose in life, Draco just realized he simply never had one. The Mark on his forearm burned every once in a while as if it was reminding him of its existence. The bandages he used to cover it with, as to pretend it was only an unhealed wound from War, didn't help. The tingling sensation he got every time he felt a stare from another student made him want to scratch it. And he did, in his sleep. Every morning since the War ended, Draco woke up with bloody stains on his skin and clothes. The scratches weren't deep and didn't leave any scars. If anything, they only made the Mark stand out even more.

He had become a double spy, like Severus, in his fifth year and joined the Order. Seemingly fighting for one side, secretly working for the other left him split. Being the cause of people dying on either front, putting up an act, and dancing on the edge of death every day was something a fifteen-year-old wasn't made for. Though, Draco was somehow grateful to his father. If anything, he taught him to preserve, to stand proud, and don't waver. That was also why the betrayed and utterly disappointed looks on his parents' faces left him broken.

It wasn't that he wished for glory for his doings. Half of the things he had done were for the Dark Lord, and even though it was only to assure his loyalty, nothing could wash off the blood he had on his hands. Everyone despised him even after the War until his name was cleared by the ministry, that much was agreed on when he joined the Light.

But even if the name was cleared, the doubt and sorrow of those he hurt, stayed. Apart from formal interactions with Blaise Zabini, Draco was left alone. Pansy was dead, Crabble and Goyle's whole families in Azkaban alongside his father. His mother was forced into exile. He long realized he did not belong to either of sides, not the one which lost, nor the one which won. Torn in the middle, torn between himself, receiving cold shoulders from everyone was tiring.

The only thing keeping him sane was his pride. Malfoys were proud, this was shaped into him since he was small. Draco learned how it came in handy in this situation, when he walked with his head up in hallways, scowling at the glares and occasional comments he got. He would still not change the decision he had made although it made him lose everything. They made their choices and Draco had done his. He wasn't The Golden Boy, he couldn't save anyone but himself. If he waited for salvation as he initially intended, it would have never come.

To say he had lost everyone was an exaggeration, but not so much. There was one particular person who triggered his nerves, had he done so from the beginning of the first year. Harry Potter was a reason for Draco to keep himself together. He treated him the same way regardless, the familiar hatred but not hostility he felt every time they spoke lessened Malfoy's loneliness. It was like a safe place that had never changed despite circumstances. Their relationship wasn't shifted even after they started fucking.

As Draco thought about their relationship, it left him pondering on whether the weird feeling of comfort coming from Potter's hatred made him a masochist.

He entered the common room swiftly, ignoring everyone and heading straightly to his shared bedroom with Zabini.

Draco walked past Blaise who was playing chess with some second year, so he knew he got a bit of time for himself. Once the door on his room closed, Malfoy rested his back against it and slowly slid down. He stretched his knees before bending them again and wrapping his arms around them.

Draco found himself lacking closure for the past few weeks, even longing for something he had never received – hugs. He only imagined how it felt because the distant memory of his mother hugging him as a child had faded long ago. The closest skinship he got was, yet again, from Potter, but he didn't think about it that way.

He and Potter decided to use each other because it didn't bring any commitments. The assurance that it wouldn't ever develop to something more and the sole purpose of fucking was to get off, brought them to the situation they were in now. No jealousy nor a need to care, just freedom of pleasure the pair could enjoy without creating ties.

The dinner time came faster than Draco had anticipated. By the time he realized it, the Great Hall was almost empty, except for a bunch of Hufflepuffs quietly reading their books or holding a civil conversation. Slytherin table had two young boys sitting at the very end, far away from Draco. He sighed and sat down, comfortable with having a meal in peace and quiet. Gryffindor and Ravenclaw's tables were completely vacant. No wonder, with one of them always competing to be first and the other's inability to sit at one place for more than few minutes.

Draco was almost finished with his feast when the door opened and a short, slim figure sneaked in. He didn't need to be a Seer to know it was Potter. He would recognize that messy hair and lame glasses everywhere.

Their eyes met, catching Draco off guard. He was feeling sentimental which made him vulnerable and he looked away first. Normally, he wouldn't have lost in their staring contest so easily. His moment of weakness pissed him off to the point he got up and left, not giving Potter another glance.

On the other hand, Harry's eyes were glued on Malfoy as he rushed out of the hall. It was weird, despite the fact that he had a fight with Ron and Hermione just a moment ago, one look at lonely, yet annoyed Draco made his mood better.

Harry was not having the best day ever and although he vented the frustration on sex with the white-haired boy, that numb feeling afterward couldn't be soothed so easily anymore. Now that he saw Draco's day was equally shitty, he felt relieved. Nothing can lift your spirit up better than the sense of companionship that you're not the only one struggling.

Harry got up and followed his archenemy almost without thinking. He didn't intend to approach him, he made sure the distance between them was big enough not to give the other boy any weird ideas.

Or so Harry thought but when Malfoy turned abruptly around and faced him, he surely didn't expect it.

"What?!" Draco snapped right away. There was no insult that followed, yet the short word was infected with enough poison for Harry to flinch.

"Geez, I'm just going back to my room, no need to act like a celebrity being chased by paparazzi." Harry put his palms up as a way of surrendering.

"Paparazzi?" Draco's head titled a little in confusion upon hearing an unfamiliar word. Harry just shook his head and didn't bother to explain. Muggle things would not interest Malfoy anyway.

"Whatever. What was that about me being a celebrity? You've been stealing spotlight since the day you were born so it's really amusing to hear that from you." Draco smirked but his words weren't as hateful as usually.

"You must truly wish to be one when you point out my fame whenever I go. If you think being a celebrity comes with such an advantage, I'd gladly give you my status of The Chosen One." Harry's words, to both of their surprise, carried a lot of hate. Hate, not directed at Malfoy but the title mentioned in the last sentence. The way he spat out the phrase "Chosen One" was so spiteful even Draco was taken aback.

When Harry realized what exactly came out of his mouth, he clicked his mouth in frustration.

"Forget it." He muttered, more than ready to end this unfortunate encounter with Malfoy.

Draco, on the other hand, was filled with rage. Before thinking, he grabbed Potter by his sleeve and yanked him back.

"What the..." Harry got cut off mid-sentence.

"Playing victim to earn sympathy won't work on me. Oh! Our celebrated hero, Harry Potter, is actually living a very pitiful life despite having everything he has ever wished for." Malfoy said as ironically as it was humanly possible.

He saw Harry gritting his teeth and smirked, continuing with the tease.

"Was I right? Is that what you actually think of yourself? That you are a victim? Well, that's also a way how to ease the guilt." Malfoy said hatefully.

Harry pulled out his wand faster than Draco could notice, pressing it hard against the fair-haired boy's neck.

"Shut up about things you have no idea about." Harry's eyes penetrated deep into Malfoy's skull. Draco got shivers, realizing he overstepped the unspoken boundaries, but somehow, seeing Potter so worked up for him made him smile inside.

"Alright, I get it. Let me go." Malfoy resigned and let go of Harry's hand, facing his palms upwards as a sign of giving up.

Harry blinked twice before backing down, letting Draco breathe steadily again. He didn't realize how much strength he used until he noticed a red mark from his wand on Malfoy's neck.

Draco reached up and touched the sore spot, clearing his throat slightly, pretending to be in less pain than he actually was.

Not another word was spoken as they both started heading toward the dorms.


	5. Chapter 5

Days passed quickly, maybe too quickly in Harry's opinion. Since the tense encounter with Malfoy, they haven't spoken. Harry would move past it, but there was one thing nudging him at the back of his mind. The blonde boy looked worse every time Harry saw him. It wasn't as if he paid much attention to Malfoy, but even then he could see how much he changed over such a short period of time. What baffled him more was the fact that nobody else seemed to notice. Or maybe nobody just cared enough to notice. To notice Draco's visibly dark circles, his paler than usual complexion, his blood-shed eyes, his bruises....

It was a sight that bothered Harry. It bothered him to the point that when Draco undressed in front of him and revealed his thin, bruised body, he could not hold back anymore.

"You look horrible," Harry said as casually as possible while staring at Malfoy's pointy ribcage.

"Well, thanks for the compliment. Try telling that to your girlfriend, if you ever get one." Malfoy scoffed off, but his voice sounded tired. Tired in a certain way, as if talking alone was draining energy from him. It was Harry's first time hearing the other boy speak in a week and it sent shivers down his spine.

"I mean it." He added slowly, having pure intentions of showing concern. One glance from Malfoy told him he should not have said that.

"If my humble look doesn't fit your tastes, I'll save you the misery of looking at me and take my leave." Draco spat out so hatefully, yet so calmly it gave Harry another chills. As swiftly as Malfoy undressed, he was fully clothed in a moment.

Harry moved at the last second and grabbed the blonde boy's wrist before he exited the room. Their eyes met, creating tension so dense it could be cut by a knife.

"It's not like that, not at all. I said that because..." Harry stop himself when he realized what he was about to say. He broke the eye contact for a moment, his eyes searching the room as if looking for the right answer.

'...because I was worried? Because I noticed your strange wounds? Because I can no longer look at your worsening situation?'

Malfoy raised his eyebrows, but not in a way that demanded Harry to finish his sentence. It was more of a 'I'm done with you so let go' way. This was definitely not the right place, time, and person for Draco to break down. His last week was so shitty he decided to forget it. But the boy who-minds-everyone's-business-except-his was making it rather difficult.

Draco wasn't stupid enough not to understand what Potter really meant. He just chose to take it the wrong way to avoid answering unwanted questions. He seriously debated whether to meet up with the nosy boy that day but his raging hormones won over his clear judgment. Now that he realized his mistake, it was for the best of both to just quickly disappear from the scene.

"I said that because it seems like you may need... a bit of help," Harry said so carefully as if he was talking to a child. In fact, that's wasn't far from true, because talking to Malfoy was like handling a timing bomb. It could explode at any moment.

And despite Harry's attempts, he was not careful enough. The bomb exploded.

A laugh escaped from Malfoy's throat. It started as a small chuckle and escalated into a half-cry. With a truly amused expression, he yanked his hand from Potter's grip and left.

Just like that, without speaking another word.

"Brilliant. Harry James Potter, that was just brilliant." Harry cursed under his breath, angry at himself but also at Malfoy.

His laugh was still echoing in Harry's ears when he was fell asleep that night.

***

Day passed quickly, but not as quickly anymore. Harry felt as if he was dreaming through the classes. Maybe he was, but one look at Malfoy brought him back to reality. A reality he so desperately wished to escape from.

One thing was made clear. There wasn't a place for concern in their relationship. Harry overstepped the unspoken boundary and it bit him back. The bond he had with Malfoy became thinner and Harry realized that if he ever wanted to chase the blonde boy away, he should be caring. It wasn't hatred, insults, and childish arguments that would do the job, Draco was scared of something more deep and sophisticated. Feelings of care and love. In a weird sense, Harry understood it well.

The fewer people you are tied to, the less you can lose. Harry has lost far too much in his life and it often left him wondering, what if things turned out differently? What if he was sorted to Slytherin and never gained the favor of Dumbledore? What if he never met Sirius and got his hopes up about living with him and escaping the hell of a house from his childhood? What if he never made friends with Ron and Hermione...? Would he still choose to come back when Voldemort killed him? Would he still be here now in that case?

Deep down, Harry knew that he was not directly responsible for the deaths of people close to him. At the same time, he blamed himself for ever meeting them, because it just brought misfortune. So much misfortune it cost them their own lives. Now his only nephew was growing up without his parents. The Weasley family would never be fully together again. Dobby won't ever come to visit him occasionally.

The list could go on, but professor Slughorn interrupted Harry from his thoughts.

"Mr. Potter, it seems like your potion is trying to escape from you." A small laugh echoed in the room when Harry looked at the strange, slimy substance crawling on the table. He had no idea how it got there.

"Oh, right." He said awkwardly, still feeling out of place. Without giving it another thought, Harry grabbed the substance with his bare hands and showed it to the nearby bin. "Sorry 'bout that." He muttered, frustrated that the whole class was now watching him.

"Mr. Potter...? Did you-... did you just touch it with your hands? Does it not hurt...?" Slughorn asked hesitantly and with concern, his eyebrows formed into a frown. Harry just wanted to move on with this topic, he couldn't understand why he was getting so much attention all of a sudden. But when a pain sprang up to his forearms, forcing him to look down, he finally understood.

"What?" He asked under his breath, looking at his blistered, red palms. Some of the wounds were so swollen that small cuts started to appear on them, staining his already red skin with blood.

"The scorpion's poison is highly dangerous when is mixed with dragon's blood and comes in contact with skin, Mr. Potter. I believe I've mentioned it at the beginning of the lesson. Quickly go to the nurse!" Slughorn rarely lost his cool but this was one of the cases. The golden boy was about to die in front of his eyes without realizing it. Harry, on the other hand, was already calculating how to make it up to Slughorn while he rushed to the hospital ward.

"Madam Pomfrey? Anyone in here?" Harry yelled as soon as he managed to open the main door with his elbow since some spots on his palms turned purple.

The big room seemed empty, with no staff or students. Harry hesitated before the itching and stabbing pain forced him to urgently find someone. It felt as if thousands of needles were penetrating his skin, painfully tickling him.

"Madam Pomfrey?!" Harry yelled louder while approaching the nurses' resting room where students were not allowed.

"God, Potter! Can you quiet down for one second?" A very familiar voice was heard behind his back. One of the beds that had its curtains closed now fully exposed Malfoy's head with a death glare directed at Harry.

Only then Harry realized he didn't see Malfoy this morning during potions. Maybe that was why no spiteful comment was made about his clumsiness.

"Oh, my apologies, sleeping beauty. I'll try not to die a bit quieter next time." Harry barked out as he turned out, which caused his head to spin. He became dizzy and the world around him went blurry for a moment.

He didn't lose his balance completely but it made him to stumble awkwardly around before standing still again.

Malfoy watched the scene in front of him, having to stop himself from jumping out of the bed and saving the famous Harry Potter from falling.

"Where's Pomfrey?" Harry managed to ask, feeling weirdly out of breath. He started to feel all sweaty and heavy as if he just finished a tough quidditch match. 

"She left to fetch some mandragoras," Draco replied, watching Harry's rapidly worsening state with a frown. His hands were now all purple and so swollen he couldn't move his fingers anymore.

"You know..." Harry said as he struggled to walk to the nearest bed, which was only three steps away, "I don't feel anything below my arms anymore." He whispered while finally sitting down.

Malfoy couldn't resist any longer and was by the other boy's side in a second.

"God Potter, what did you do this time?" He said with a truly horrified expression once he realized how grave the situation was.

"Scorpion's poison mixed with dragon's blood. Touched my failed potion with bare hands." Harry explained, letting his body fall and making an impact with the hard, hospital mattress. His eyelids were too heavy to keep his eyes open.

"Are you out of your mind?!" Draco yelled and straightened himself up in distress. He rushed to the nearest medical box and rummaged through it. "You will die in ten minutes if it's left untreated!" Malfoy's urgent tone strangely calmed Harry down. It was a while since someone worried about him and only him. Not about if he's capable enough to kill Voldemort or if he can destroy all the Horcruxes.

Once Draco found what he was looking for, he returned to Harry's side.

"This should help." He muttered to himself, staring at a syringe filled with a golden liquid.

"How do you know all that?" Harry asked in a whisper, slightly opening his eyes to see the other boy.

"Not everyone has the privilege of being the Chosen One. Some have to work hard to get by." Malfoy said, surprisingly with no sarcasm in his voice. Or maybe Harry was just too out of it to hear it. 

"I never asked for this privilege," Harry responded truthfully, not knowing what else to say.

"Okay, I guess this will hurt," Malfoy said when he finished preparing the injection. He ignored Harry's remark completely, since there wasn't enough time for their petty arguments.

"Have you ever done this?" Harry asked, feeling a bit worried now that his enemy was about to inject suspicious liquid into his body.

"No, so don't move," Malfoy said, all focused. When he lifted his eyes and looked at Harry's doubtful expression, he sighed. " God, don't give me that look. Only a handful of things can make your state worse and this is not one of them. I'm injecting it." He announced right before the needle penetrated Harry's stiff skin on his forearm.

It hurt so much that despite the numbness, Harry flinched.

"Easy. It's almost over, just bear with it for a little longer." Draco uttered gently. So gently that Harry forgot about the pain for a second.

"Done." He said a few seconds later and pressed a bit of wool on the small hole the injection left behind.

Harry felt a feeling of relief slowly spreading through his body. The effect was almost immediate, the horrifying purple color started fading visibly as well. It'd only been a few seconds and his state was already a lot better.

"Wow... thanks." Unable to stay still, Harry lifted himself up and supported his body with his elbows.

They made eye-contact for the first time after their fight. Malfoy's eyes were the color of a cloudy sky and Harry found himself lost for a moment. "You've just saved my life." He whispered, afraid that if he said it louder, the meaning would disappear. "Thank you."

Draco couldn't look at the other boy anymore and averted his gaze. "Not much to thank me for, plus you're not healed completely yet. Though rest can be done by Pomfrey when she comes." He said hastily and straightened himself up. "I should leave."

With that, Malfoy started heading out. 

Harry wanted to stop him, he couldn't understand why he was in such a rush, but no words came out of his mouth. His eyes went wide one last time, seeing Draco's back before his vision went blank.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was a bit skeptical about this chapter but decided to post it anyway.


End file.
